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A video on the All American Red Heads
with footage from 1968 & 1973 as well as a reunion in 2007 has been created by Marco Wildermuth
Regarding John Molina's work...
"It is one of the finest collections on women's basketball,"
said Michael Brooslin, museum curator at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield (Hartford Courant May
20, 2002).
Copyright 2011 John A. Molina. All rights reserved Warning!
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under the Copyright Laws of the United States Code. Any copying, reproduction, dissemination or distribution of the contents
herein by any means, in whole or in part, are strictly forbidden without the written authorization of John A. Molina.
The owner of the contents herein will pursue all legal remedies available for those not obtaining proper authorization.
In the event that a copy of any of the contents of this website is desired, or you wish to obtain a copy of any of
the photographs depicted herein, permission may be obtained by emailing the link below.
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| Co-authors Matt Zeysing and John Molina in Carway Arkansas |
**ANNOUNCING** A book is in the works on the women's basketball team, The All American Red Heads. It is being co-authored
by Historian of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Matt Zeysing and Preservationist, John Molina. This book will start back
in 1936 with the creation of the Red Heads and bring it up to the last season in 1986.
Contact the Author and honorary All American Red Head: John Molina
.
When it comes to the History of Women's Basketball, The All
American Red Heads ARE The Great American Story
1940s video of the All American Red Heads
It began back in 1936. Cm (Ole)
Olson had a mens traveling (barnstorming) called the Terrible Swedes traversing the country since the 1920s.
Ole
was a terrific basketball player and one of the first men to use a behind the back pass on a regular basis. He was also
a top notch business man.
The Swedes were out of Cassville Mo. This also happened to be a hot bed for womens basketball
with many of the nations top AAU teams in the
surrounding states.
Ole recruited some of the best talent on
the court to comprise his own womens team, the All American Red Heads. Some of the players would work for Ole's wife,
Doyle, who owned a string of beauty salons in Mo and Ar. For those players not naturally red haired, they would use
henna to color it.
Only 16 years after women got the right to vote, the Red Heads left Cassville Mo to play basketball.
One must think back to that time in American society to where women were socially. Few women would go onto college
(not many had basketball) women would work on the farm, maybe become a stenographer or work at a local factory.
To get paid to play basketball and travel the country at the same time? This was as far out there as thinking an actor
named Ronald Regan would become president more than 40 years later
When the Red Heads set out on the road, they
weren't just playing basketball. They were pioneers to break down all of these stereotypes....and didn't even know it
at the time. They were just women that had a great passion to play basketball.
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| Coach Wilbur Surface and the "first team" in 1936 |
They would only play against men and by
mens rules. During that time, women were playing 6 on 6 with only 3 players being allowed to cross the court.
There was still much concern at the time, that women shouldn't play the game like a man because they weren't as physical
and could hurt their chances to have children.
They were an instant success. While many may have been
initially intrigued by women playing against men in a male dominated sport, those in attendence quickly witnessed that women
could not only play the game of basketball by mens rules, they could beat men at their own game.
In the early years
the All American Red Heads would play up to about 160 games on the road. They would win about 50% of them. Of course there would be a lot of poker as well in the spare time. The strong tradition of playing real money poker while traveling the country to play basket or baseball or ice hockey may well have started here. In 1937, Ole would create a second team. They were called the Ozark Hillbillies. They were a 'farm' team for the Red Heads.
They would also travel across the country, with many of the players eventually leaving on to play for the main team.
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| movie stars autographs from a trip to Hollywood in 1930s |
While in Hollywood in the late 30s, they
would go on to meet some of the top movie stars of the time, such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Tyrone Power.
Across
small town America, gyms would overflow with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the greatest players in the world on
the same team. Attendances of over 1,000 was not uncommon.
The All American Red Heads would appear in some
of the countries greatest magazines of the day. Life, Look, Colliers among others published the travels of these special
women.
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| 1941-42 team just before invasion of Pearl Harbor |
In 1940, the team traveled to the Philippines
to play several games.
When the team was down there, the US military issued a invasion
warning. Sensing
an immediate threat, the team had to quickly escape by
cattle boats that were lead by a mine sweeper. The team was on the road the day Pearl Harbor was
attacked by the Japanese, and
still went out to play that night. Due to rationing of gas, tires, etc., the All American Red Heads came
off the road during WWII. Some of the players would go work for
companies such as Boeing and would continue
playing basketball at night
for them.
As servicemen and women came back home after
the war to end all wars,
the Red Heads picked up where they left off. Some of the same players
returned
and new ones were added.
In 1948, Olson offered a coaching job
to an english teacher (and high
school coach), Owell Moore. Moore was married to Lorene "Butch" Moore. Butch
loved a Red Heads and when orwell was offered a job to Coach, he would only take it if Lorene was to join the team as well.
During that time, there were 2 teams. The All American Red Heads and
the Famous Red Heads. Coach
Moore started with the Famous Red Heads. 7 time all american, Hazel Walker was player/coach of the All American Red
Heads.
When Hazel left the Red Heads, Orwell would move over to the main team with his wife and other players like
Red Mason and Johnny Farley.
In 1955, Olson would sell the Red Heads to the Moore's and retire to a life on a farm
of fishing and one of his favorite pastimes, golf.
During these years, Lorene would go on to score 35, 246 points
in 9+ seasons. At halftime, she would get on her knees and shoot foul shots, sometimes making 50 in a row. It
was during these halftimes that the Red Heads started putting on an extra show, while the mens team was catching their breathe
for the second half.
Fancy ball handling, trick shots and more were performed to the crowds delight. Owell
Moore was years ahead of his time.
Not only did the Red Heads play against more physical men, Coach Moore created
special halftime shows to entertain the crowds. He realized the importance that he had to not only put a quality product
on the court, but also entertain the crowd.
As the legend of a Red Heads grew, so did their traveling. In
1957 the team would take its first trip of 4 to Alaska. Imagine the sight of
Native Eskimo children watching a
team of red haired women playing basketball against their local men, most who hunted by the day. The first team to travel
to the soon to be state included Jessie Banks from Oklahoma and Red Mason from Arkansas. The 1950s also brought the Red Heads to national
television. What to Carol Channing and Lorene "Butch" Moore have in common? They both appeared on Ed
Sullivan on the same night.
The players during this time continued to be some of the best the country had to offer
and their impact after their playing days in women's sports would continue. Ball handling wizard, Jessie Banks would
done a Red Heads uniform for 6 seasons before going to college and becoming deeply involved in both the formation of the AIAW
and WBCA.
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| Coach Orwell Moore after he purchased the Red Heads from Ole Olson |
Contact Author John Molina
Basketball Hoops
Basketball Goals
Girls Basketball Camps
Early exposure girls basketball camps designed to help players get exposure to secure athletic scholarships
Elite Girls Basketball Camps
Elite girls basketball camp designed to showcase the top girls basketball players against elite competition.
Baby Ballers by Richard Zimdars
The Baby Ballers is regarded by the
author to be the world's first
sport fantasy adventure series. Don't let the cover(s) fool you, this
book
is recommended for readers 10 and up. Besides the pint-size players
and the parallel world setting, this book and
the following sequels will
be written to promote the sport of women's basketball to fans and
non-fans alike.
Besides the humor and the thrill of basketball being
played by 'professional' athletes, the series tries
to tackle the myths
and the truths that are spoken in regards to women's professional
basketball using fictional
characters and real-world situations. The
goal of the entire series is not only to entertain the readers,
but to
further one's knowledge and understanding of women's basketball and its
fans
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